When 85-year-old funk innovator George Clinton aligns with West Coast hip-hop stalwart Jay Worthy and producer Sean House, the resulting collaboration bridges decades of musical history into a singular statement. Their collaborative project, Generation P, released in late August, serves as a direct torch-passing moment between the architects of P-Funk and the modern artists keeping its spirit vibrant. The project aims to keep the sound of Parliament-Funkadelic intact while leaning on the retro vibes, with an arcade-style game released to evoke the time period.
While musical genres evolve rapidly across era boundaries, the foundation laid by Parliament-Funkadelic remains central to modern urban music culture. Reflecting on the album title and its underlying ethos, Worthy explained his perspective on honoring this musical lineage. "You know, I think that was my way of paying homage to being, you know, third generation of P-funk, man," Worthy said.
"We all P-funk babies at the end of the day. So, everyone talking about Gen X, Gen Z. Well, s***, I'm Generation P." For Clinton, participating in a full collaborative album at 85 years old represents a natural continuation of his lifelong mission.
As a progenitor of a sound that continues to influence the soundscape, Clinton maintained an infectious enthusiasm for the music. "They talking about the P. I'm all in," Clinton laughed.
"It's telling me that the funk is still relevant. We know it's the DNA for hip-hop, and know it's rock, it's funk, it's Motown. So I'm not gonna apologize for wanting to shake my booty at 85." When asked to define what "P" signifies today in their cross-generational collaboration, Clinton offered a classic formulation: "It's P-funk, of course, pure uncut funk ain't been stepped on—the bomb." Worthy echoed the sentiment, describing the music as "P-Funk no cuts, straight like that." Inside the recording atmosphere, reverence for the original compositions guided every production decision.
House, who makes up half of LNDN DRGS alongside Worthy, gained rare access to original multitrack recordings provided through Zavier Croft, Clinton's grandson, allowing him to analyze how classic P-Funk arrangements were constructed. "Our introduction to P-Funk was like through rap music, through sampling the old songs and everything," House explained after joining the conversation. "We wanted a take on it...but still keeping the sound original to the original Funkadelic records and everything, so it was like really trying to be careful not to do too much to change it." Examining 24-track masters of iconic cuts like "Atomic Dog" and "Knee Deep" provided House with a deeper appreciation for Clinton's intricate studio mastery.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
